Assembly OKs parolee sanctions bill

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — The Wisconsin Assembly has approved a bill that would create a formal system of short-term sanctions for convicts who violate parole or probation.

The Department of Corrections currently imposes sanctions short of prison that range from treatment to jail time. The bill would require the agency to consider a number of factors when imposing the sanctions, including the level of intensity needed, imposing quick consequences and ensuring a minimal impact on an offender’s job and family.

The bill’s author, Republican Rep. John Nygren of Marinette, introduced the proposal as part of a series of bills designed to combat heroin abuse, saying the new system could help addicts get treatment faster.

The Assembly passed the measure on a voice vote Thursday. It now goes to the state Senate.